Challenge Accepted
by missingnins
Summary: Leo, a regular teenager who often gets into fight is confronted with a tough decision in life...


Challenge Accepted  
By MissingNins

Everything around him was black. A boy in his mid-teen was lying down aching with pain. He could hardly move around. No matter which direction he looked, he could not see anything. _Is this a dream?_ When all of a sudden, he felt as if he was falling. The floor around him had turned into quicksand. The more he resisted, the quicker he sank. However, as he fell further, he started to lose his consciousness.

"Leo. Leo!"

Snapping his eyes opened, he met face to face with his worried friend, whose red orbs are piecing into his own. "Hey... Cobra, what... happened?" Leo whispered as he sat up and looked around. "Where am I?"

"You got into a fight with some people again for the seventh time this month," Cobra sighed slightly as he examined his friend who was now full of bruises. "I don't know the details but it seems like you passed out and ended up here, in the nurse's office. I know we're both from a school full of fights and violence, but things are different here. Right now you-"

"Did Leo gain conscious?" It was the principal's voice talking to the nurse which interrupted Cobra's sentence. "Tell him to come see me in my office."

"Guess you should get going," Cobra held out his hand, offering Leo help to get up.

Grabbing his friend's hand, Leo got up and made his way toward the nurse's office exit. Before leaving he turned back to look at Cobra once more. "You should get rid of those contact lens of yours, you know," Leo smirked at his friend and left.

As Leo made his way toward the principal's office, he could hear all the chattering around, with him being the topic of conversation.

"Did that carrot-top got in trouble again?"

"Of course he would, he never turn down a challenge, especially if it's a fight."

Although Leo experienced this feeling quite frequently, he still felt that it was quite annoying. Nevertheless, by the time Leo got to the principal's office, all the chattering was gone. Showing some manners, Leo gave a light knocked on the door before entering the room.

"I was hoping not to see you in here again," the principal gestured Leo to sit, "at least not for this matter."

Leo sat there silently, he felt hesitant about what he should reply.

"I know you're a clever and talented student, even your marks are high," as the principal scanned through the report sent to him earlier, he sighed slightly. "But how many times do I have to tell you that fighting are _not_ acceptable _here_ at this school."

_If Cobra were here, he would help get me out of this situation by now._ "Well, at my former school there's a bunch of fights and-"

"Anyhow, fighting is not acceptable here. Although eyewitnesses had seen that it was Lector who started the fight, that doesn't mean that you won't be in trouble."

At that moment, Lector who had also been asked to come see the principal had arrived at his office. However, before he opened the door, he heard the principal uttered something interesting. "You have two choices Leo, either _leave_ this school with a bad profile regarding your attitudes or two, stay here but _there shall be no more fights_ where you are involved in." Lector smirked at the new knowledge he had gained. His intuition was telling him that this knowledge could come in handy.

A loud knocked could be heard from the principal's office. "Come in." Subsequent to the principal's response, Lector walked in.

"Good timing Lector, I was expecting you to come soon," The principal then turned to face Leo. "As for you Leo, next time you get into a fight, I'll take it as you've chosen the first option. You can go now."

As Leo got up and was about to leave the room, he could see the mischievous grinned plastered on Lector's face. He felt as if something bad was going to happen soon. _I hope it's just me imagining things._ Leo shook his head in attempt to get rid of his sudden thought before he left for recess.

On his way to the cafeteria, Leo was stopped in his track when Cobra came running to him with an extremely worried expression. As far as he knew, he had not talked to anyone yet since he came out of the principal's office.

"Is it true?" Cobra shook Leo as he asked his question.

"What is?"

"That you will have to leave this school if you get into a fight one more time."

Hearing what his friend told him, Leo was left somewhat in a state of shock. "H-how... Who told you that?"

"It's true, isn't it?"

"Answer _my_ question," the serious expression on Leo's face showed how much he wanted and _needed_ to know the answer.

"Lector-" Cobra stopped mid-sentence when he saw Leo turning around preparing to dash off. Out of instinct, he grabbed Leo by the collar of his shirt, worried that his friend might get into trouble again. "I know what you're thinking. _Don't_. If you do, you'll be leaving for real this time," hearing Leo grumbling quietly, he let go of him.

Sighing vaguely, Leo grabbed Cobra by his forearm before dragging him up the stairway. "Recess' almost over, let's get to class."

Everything about each class would seemed as normal as usual, only if it was not for the fact that everyone was talking about how Leo would have to leave this school if he got into a fight one more time. However, when compared to lunch break, the ruckus in class was like an appetizer. While others were having lunch, Lector's friends had asked Leo to meet them at the soccer field. Worried about his friend's well-being, Cobra followed them to the destination.

"Yo! Bad boy! How about a fight?"

"Why should I?" Leo turned around preparing to leave.

"Oh~ You're not chickening out, are you?"

_This isn't good._ Cobra thought to himself as he heard the conversation between Leo and Lector's friends.

Clenching his fist, Leo prepared to land a hard blow. "Say that again you brainless-" However, before he could do anything, he was shoved to the ground in a very harsh manner.

"Stop right there Leo," Cobra shouted at his friend as he pinned him down against the grassy surface. "I won't allow you to be kicked out of school for such a reason."

At that moment, Lector's friends were signaling each other to quickly leave the area.

"Fine, I get it," Leo exhaled before he raised his voice, "so get off of me already."

"Oh, sorry," As Cobra got up, he helped Leo up as well. "Since we have different schedules after lunch, see you around after school then."

"Whatever." Leaving Cobra behind, Leo walked into the school's building.

"Still as combative as always, show your kind side more often would you?" Cobra murmured to himself as he followed Leo into the building.

The bell that indicates the end of school rang. Leo packed his belongings and prepared to leave, only to be stopped by Lector who was blocking the doorway.

"Move, I'm in a hurry."

"Oh, really?" Lector countered back in a cocky manner. "What if I don't? Are you going to _make_ me?"

Leo looked around, the only possible way for him to leave this room was either through the doorway Lector was currently blocking or jumping out the window. _Only if this isn't the fourth floor. _Flipping his phone open, he sent a text message to Cobra.

*SOS! Room 406.*

"How about a fight-"

"Get out of the way dammit!" Cobra had pushed Lector from behind, gaining Leo a chance to get out of the room.

As Leo and Cobra hurriedly left the area, Lector was alone in the room. "Damn that devil eyes got in the way again," having said that, Lector punched the wall in anger before leaving through the opposite stairway.

Another regular day where the sun shone. Leo and Cobra walked to school together like usual.

"Hey Leo," Cobra stopped his friend before the two of them entered the school's ground.

"What is it?"

Grabbing his friend by the shoulder, Cobra forcefully turned Leo to faced him. "Promise me you won't get into a fight today."

"Mind repeating? I don't think I heard it correctly."

"I said," Cobra paused and stared into his friend dead-serious, "Don't get into a-"

Leo sighing had caught Cobra off guard, not to mentioned what he said immediately after. "Then tell me, how exactly am I supposed to protect myself from harm?"

"At least stop accepting every single challenge to a fight would you?" Cobra could not help but face-palmed.

"Try having a habit like mine and you'd understand how it's not easily done as said." Annoyed by the slight quarrel he had gotten into, Leo rushed into the school's building.

The day did not go by as fast as always. During break time, Lector had asked Leo to fight him again.

"If we fight here, both of us are getting into trouble," Leo observed the area around him as he saw more of Lector's friends approaching.

"What about it? If something happened you're the one who's getting kicked out."

Lector's statement had made Leo curious. "How exactly? _You're_ the one who started the fight."

"Well, I got more people on my side here." Lector smirked wickedly at Leo. "If the teachers asked what happened, then my friends, as eyewitnesses, can tell them _you_ are the one who started the fight."

"Damn you! Going so far as playing dirty? What exactly do you want-"

"I want you out of this school. Clear?"

Once Leo heard Lector's answer, his eyes went wide open. He was so shocked that he barely dodged the punch that Lector had thrown at him. However, out of the corner of his eye, Leo could see the principal approaching. _Maybe if I keep on dodging... _Looking up he noticed something._ There's a security camera here as well._

"Stop dodging would-"

"Lector!" It was the principal voice, "To my office now. All of you, except Leo."

"Shoot!" Lector and his friends tried to escape the scene only to have the principal blocking their path. Seeing no way out, they were forced to go to the principal's office.

Nevertheless, before the principal left, he turned around to face Leo. "I saw everything, you made a good decision back then. Good job."

Time had passed by and it was lunch. While others were eating, Leo and Cobra went to chilled out at the soccer field.

"Leo," Cobra looked up into the sky as he mentioned his friend's name, "How about a challenge?"

Leo raised an eyebrow, "Weren't you the one who told me not to get into a fight?"

"Who told you it's a challenge to a fight?"

"Then what is it?" Cobra's reply had made Leo interested.

"I challenge you to..." Cobra trailed off.

"To what?" Leo was now eager to hear what Cobra had to say.

"Not get into a fight for the rest of the time you're at this school."

Leo was speechless after hearing the challenge Cobra got for him.

"So what's your answer? Are you up to it?"

"If it's a challenge then..." This time Leo trailed off like how Cobra did.

"Just say it and stop mimicking me!"

"Challenge accepted."


End file.
